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Textbook Refund Policy

Cash Register Receipts Are Required For All Refunds

Fall and Spring Semesters:

Textbooks are refundable through the first two weeks of classes. 

Textbooks purchased after this time are refundable within 48 business hours from the date of purchase.

Textbooks purchased during finals are not eligible for a refund.

Summer Semester:

Textbooks are refundable through the first week of classes for full term and first term mini session.  Textbooks purchased after this time are refundable within 48 business hours from the date of purchase.

Textbooks purchased for second term mini session, intersession, and institute sessions are refundable within 48 hours of the first class day.

Textbooks purchased during finals are not eligible for a refund.

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Information On Textbook Prices

After shelling out big bucks for tuition, room and board, and other college expenses, students may be taken aback by the prices of textbooks for class. National statistics show students spend hundreds of dollars each year on textbooks – and they’re not happy about it.

According to old campus newspapers, students were complaining about textbook prices in the 1930’s, when the average textbook cost about $3. Things haven’t changed. Today’s students are still raising questions about why textbooks cost as much as they do. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions and answers.

Why is the bookstore gouging me? Textbook prices are so high, I know the store is making a ton of money.

In reality, the bookstore doesn’t make much on textbooks. On average, 64.8% of the sticker price on new books goes back to the publisher, mostly to cover the development of the book and normal business expenses.  The author gets about 11.6% in royalties. The freight company who shipped the book gets 1.2%.

The rest goes to the bookstore, but out of that amount the store has to pay for staff wages and benefits; insurance and taxes; electricity, heat, water and AC; checkout systems; shelving; office and storage equipment; security; occupancy costs; repairs; supplies and other expenses. In the end, on average, just 4.5 cents (before taxes) on every dollar you pay for new textbooks represents profit to the university.

Why doesn’t the bookstore pick cheaper books?

The bookstore is not involved in textbook selection. Your professors spend many hours reviewing dozens, maybe hundreds, of books to find just the right ones for your courses. The professors then tell the store which books to order.

The UNO Bookstore does put a lot of effort into keeping textbook prices as affordable as possible, like encouraging faculty to make their book decisions early so that the store has time to search out more used copies.

Why are textbooks so much more expensive than other books?

Textbooks are not like novels or general interest nonfiction books, which are sold to a broad audience. Most textbooks are specialized and will be purchased by only a relatively small number of people. Also, textbooks require considerably more time and effort to develop. To ensure accuracy, they must undergo rigorous academic review and fact-checking, and must be updated every few years to stay current. Photos, color, graphs, charts, exercises and quizzes also add to the production cost of textbooks.

Some textbooks are shrink wrapped with extras I don’t need or use. Why does the bookstore make me pay for these?

These ancillary materials have been developed by the publisher and are normally included with the book at no extra cost to the students. These supplementary materials are intended to help you succeed with the class.  In most cases the publisher does not offer the textbook alone and the bookstore must buy the entire package. Because the package is a set, most publishers require stores to return onsold packages with all materials and shrink wrap intact.

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Information On Textbook Buybacks

A good college education doesn’t come cheap these days and that includes the price of textbooks. To help make textbooks more affordable for students the UNO Bookstore tries to stock as many reduced-priced used books as possible. Where does the store get the used copies? Mainly from college students like you who no longer need their books. The bookstore also shops for used books through national used book wholesalers who have purchased books from other universities.

Buying back used books benefits students in two ways. Students get money for books they don’t want any more and students purchasing books will save money by purchasing used books for the next term.

But students may be unhappy with the amount of money they receive for their used books. And they’re even less happy if the store is unable to buy back certain books. Here are some students’ most frequently asked questions about buybacks and the answers.

Why do I get more for some books than others at buyback?

The value of a used book depends on whether that particular book is going to be assigned  by an instructor  for the next term. Books that are going to be used on this campus next semester generally will have a higher value than books that will be sent to used book wholesalers for resale elsewhere.

If the bookstore receives an order from an instructor that the book will be assigned again term on this campus, usually the store will be able to pay a higher price for that book often times as much as 50% of the selling price.

If the book is not going to be used on this campus next term, the bookstore will check with the wholesale used book companies to find out the national market value for the book. (This generally runs around 25% to 33% of the new book price.)  These books are then shipped to the wholesale companies who in turn sell them to other university bookstores across the country.

Why did my friend get more for the same book than I got?

The national market value for a particular book may fluctuate a lot based on the changing supply and demand for that book nationwide.

If your friend received a higher value from the store and you got the lower national market value, then it was probably a matter of timing.  The bookstore may have already reached its desired inventory level based on the projected class enrollment for the next term by the time you brought your book in.

Or, if you sold your copy before your friend the store may not have received the instructor’s book order yet and therefore could only offer the lower national market value at that time.  The store cannot buy back books for resale on this campus until the instructor sends in his or her book order for the next term.

The bookstore won’t buy back some books. I bought these books just a couple of months ago. How can they be worthless now?

There are many reasons why a book may be turned down for buyback. The store and/or the wholesaler may be overstocked of that particular book. Possibly the book is not being used anywhere next term, particularly if it is highly specialized or customized. The publisher may be replacing the book with a new updated edition for next term. The book may be a part of a required package of items that cannot be sold separately. Your copy may not be salable due to broken cover, missing or torn pages, excessive highlighting or marking, stains, water damage or missing components such as a CD.

I paid a lot of money for my books.  Why doesn’t the bookstore give me more for them?

Used books are provided by the bookstore as a less expensive alternative for students. Paying more at buyback means the store would have to raise the selling prices of used books.

Why doesn’t the bookstore sell used books for the same price that they were bought at buyback?

The bookstore must add an amount to the price of all merchandise – including used books – to help cover the store’s normal operating expenses such as staff wages, utilities, insurance and taxes, cleaning and repairs and all other expenses associated with managing a business. 

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